Game #21: Tucson at Ontario
Regular Season Game #21 –Tucson Roadrunners at Ontario Reign
7:00 p.m. MST, Toyota Arena, Ontario, California
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Referees: Jake Kamrass (3), Justin Kea (20)
Linesmen: Brett Martin (37), Nikolaus Diehr (31)
The Tucson Roadrunners head out on the road to take on the Ontario Reign for the first game of a three-game, two-country road trip. Tucson and Ontario split the two-game series at the Tucson Arena November 12 and 13, and now the Roadrunners will be back at the Toyota Arena in Ontario for the first time since February 28, 2020. The Roadrunners will then travel north of the border to face the Canucks in Abbotsford for the first time in franchise history Wednesday and Thursday of next week.
Three Things
1) The Roadrunners are back on the road after playing four games in six nights at the Tucson Arena that saw Tucson come away with a 5-4 shootout victory Friday, December 10 against the Pacific-Division leading Stockton Heat. The Roadrunners rallied back from down 4-2 to secure their third-straight home comeback win dating back to November 26 against the Abbotsford Canucks. Tucson earned another standings point when they went to overtime with the Henderson Silver Knights on Tuesday, December 14.
2) The Roadrunners and Reign split their first two meetings of the season at the Tucson Arena November 12 and 13. Tucson narrowly outscored Ontario in the pair of games 11-10, which featured an 8-4 victory November 12. In that game, Roadrunners leading scorer and rookie forward Matias Maccelli recorded his first career AHL hat trick with a five-point performance, including two power-play goals in the third period. The contest marked Ontario’s first regulation loss of the season after a 9-0-0-1 start.
3) The Arizona Coyotes recalled forwards Mike Carcone and Blake Speers from the Tucson Roadrunners Friday afternoon. Speers joined the Roadrunners during the 2019-2020 season and previously appeared in three games at the NHL level with the New Jersey Devils. Carcone led the Roadrunners in goals last season with 15 and has 11 points in 20 games with Tucson this season. His first appearance with the Coyotes will be his NHL debut. Speers and Carcone are the 9th and 10th players from the Roadrunners opening night roster to join the Coyotes, as well as the 11th and 12th to appear on both the Coyotes and Roadrunners roster this season; and the 43rd and 44th players to appear on both the Roadrunners and Coyotes rosters since 2016.
What’s The Word?
Tucson Roadrunners defenseman Victor Soderstrom on the skill of the team and what they need to do to be successful:
“Obviously this is a very good level and we have a lot of skilled players. We’re a strong skating team, and to play at your best you need to play simple and use your skating. Forecheck them hard, win pucks and battles down in their own end, I think that’s what we need to do.”
Number to Know
2.5 – The number of goals allowed per-game on the road by the Roadrunners this season, which ranks as second-best in the AHL Pacific Division. Their 20 total goals allowed in away games is the second fewest in the AHL, behind only the Utica Comets (19).
We’re Doing It Live
Tonight’s game will be broadcast on AHLtv, as well as on the radio on Fox Sports 1450AM, or on the iHeartRadio app. Coverage begins at 6:45 p.m. MST with Roadrunners Warm-Up, as Jimmy Peebles gets you ready for the game before “Voice of the Roadrunners” Adrian Denny has the call at 7:00 p.m. live from the Toyota Arena.
